Close to the Edge
by Pmtcvr98
Summary: "Yes, you heard right, your mom wanted to abort you, I convinced her not to, although now I'm kind of wishing I didn't. And that baby inside you? It's gonna turn out exactly like its mother. A slut, a failure and a goddamn disappointment." Contains rape , non-graphic though.
1. Chapter 1

**Have you ever had a moment where you realize how messed your life has been? No? Well I have. Yes, my life has sucked indeed. **

******But maybe I should start at the beginning. My name is Celeste Romanoff-Barton, and yes, I am the daughter of master assassins and Avengers, Clint Barton and Natasha Romanoff. And yes, I do live with all the Avengers and their families in Stark towers. I call them my aunts, uncles, and cousins, even though we aren't related by blood.**

******This mess all started when I was 16.**

******My best friend Kaya had just gotten us invited to the biggest house party of the year. I remember being so excited, considering I was rarely invited to things like these.**

******~flashback~**

******"Celeste, Kaya's here," I heard my dad yell from the living room.**

******"Just tell her to come in," I responded.**

******Not a minute later, my old wood door creaked open to reveal the girl I had been friends with since the first grade. Kaya was tall, even taller than my 5"9 self, her bright purple heels making her struggle to fit into the door frame. Her naturally golden curls were straightened and pulled back in a loose ponytail. She was wearing tons of glittery purple eyeshadow with an excess amount of eyeliner over her turquoise eyes. Matching her heels, she wore a bright purple crop top that hung loosely over her light blue skinny jeans.**

******" Wow, someone looks nice," I commented on her party attire that made her look at least five years older.**

******"So do you," she laughed, eyeing me up and down, "Although I don't know how you expect your dad to let you leave the house looking like that."**

******She was right. I looked a little more...revealing than I usually do. My make up was a little more modest than Kaya's, only wearing simple winged eyeliner and mascara over my sky blue eyes. My clothes, however, were a different story. I wore a low cut, tight fitting royal blue crop top, with light blue high waisted jean shorts. My curly red hair was pulled into a messy bun, as I wore blue converse to match my top.**

******"He will, trust me," I said.**

******Just then, my five year old cousin Johnna and her twin brother Evan came running in. They were my uncle Steve and aunt Kayla's were the cutest twins ever, but looked nothing alike. Johnna had dirty blonde hair with emerald green eyes, while Evan had pitch black hair and blue eyes, just like his dads.**

******"Hey Celeste, do you wanna play with us," Johnna asked.**

******"I'm really sorry guys, but I can't play now, me and Kaya are going out. But maybe when I get back,"I offered. They looked a little down, but nothing they couldn't get over.**

******"Okay, you look very pretty by the way," Evan said, running away with Johnna.**

******"Thank you," I called after him.**

******"Okay, Celeste, we really gotta get going," Kaya urged.**

******We both walked out of my room, making our way to the living room, where the main elevator of the tower was. I prayed we didn't run into my dad, knowing he would say something about my provocative clothing.**

******Of course, luck was not on my side that day and it turns out pretty much everyone in my family was in the living room, getting ready to watch a movie.**

******On the long couch sat my mom, my dad, uncle Tony, his and Peppers kid, Anabeth, she was the oldest out of all my cousins, being 10 years old. Pepper wasn't there, probably working. Then there was Steve, the father of Johnna and Evan. His wife, Kayla, was a S.H.I.E.L.D agent, so she was probably out on a mission. I knew Thor was on Asgard, visiting family, so Jane sat with their 7 year old son named Kirby. Bruce was probably putting his 2 year old adopted daughter, Ava, to sleep, so they weren't there. All in all, most of my family was present.**

******Once we walked in, everyone looked up. I smiled innocently.**

******My dads eyes widened,"Hey, Celeste, Kaya, where ya goin'?"**

******"We were just going out, maybe catch a movie or something," I lied.**

******"Dressed like that?" **

******"Well..." I started**

******"Oh come on Clint, let them have some fun," I smiled thankfully at my mom.**

******My dad hesitated,"Alright, but be careful."**

******Thinking back on it now, I wish he had forced us to stay home.**

******"Thank you dad. I love you," I said, hugging him.**

******"I love you too princess," he whispered in my ear. I left after saying my goodbyes to everyone.**

******Once we go to the house, Kaya turned to me," Okay there's a chance we may get separated, so if you want to leave at any time, just call me, okay. And remember, no drinking." **

******I nodded and we set of toward the house. Kaya knocked on the door as I took a deep breath. As the door opened, the stench of alcohol filled my nostrils and we were greeted by a very drunk boy, who immediately let us in. The music was really loud as me and Kaya made our way towards the crowd of dancing people. I could feel guys hungry eyes on me as I wished a had worn a longer shirt. But as I started dancing to the beat, I didn't care anymore.**

******Eventually me and Kaya did get separated while dancing, but I didn't mind. Some guy was dancing with me, and I didn't think anything of it, until he came so close, I could feel his breath on my ear.**

******"Hey, why don't we go somewhere private and talk," he slurred.**

******I knew his definition of talk and mine were very different, so I declined, saying I had to go look for my friend. But as I was walking away, he gripped my wrist tightly. I tried to get out of his iron grip as he dragged me down a hallway, till we came to the very last door. He threw open the door and tossed me inside. By now, tears were rushing down my face as I called out for Kaya, but over the music, it was a lost cause. He shut and locked the door, turning back to me. I tried to run but he grabbed me and flung me onto the bed quickly hovering on top of me.**

******Anyways, I think you can guess how that ended, so I'll skip that.**

******When he was done, he left, just like that. I didn't even know his name. I stayed on the bed, sobbing silently, as everyone partied on outside, unaware of what had occurred in this very room. Afraid of someone walking in, I got up off of the bed,wiping away some of my tears and quickly got dressed and grabbed my phone, which he had thrown across the room at one point. I looked at the screen and saw 12 missed calls from Kaya and 10 text messages.**

******I read them all, she sounded angry and in the last one she wrote**

******'Thats it Celeste, I'm leaving. I'll call you tomorrow.'**

******I cried harder at this. I'd have to walk all the way home.**

******I was in so in pain as I walked all the way back to the tower. Once in there, I hoped that my family was asleep. I didn't want them to see me like this.**

******Fortunately for me, no one was in the living room as the elevator doors slid open. I ran to my room, thankfully passing no one on the way. I showered for at least an hour, got changed into the loosest pair of pajamas I had and then retreated to my bed. I cried myself to sleep that night, wishing I would just die.**

******I woke up the next morning, the pain I felt reminding me of the events that occurred the night before. I got up and showered again. I got changed into a pink long sleeved t-shirt and a pair of loose grey sweatpants. I pulled my hair into a ponytail and decide to go onto twitter to see if Kaya was on. I wanted to tell someone what happened. I couldn't tell my parents, considering I lied and said me and Kaya were gonna 'catch a movie or something'. Although, as I logged onto twitter, I saw something odd. My mentions were blowing up. I mean I am pretty popular, considering my parents, but not this popular. I looked to see what everyone was saying before I messaged Kaya.i picked the first tweet I saw and read it.**

******I didn't know celesteb was a porn star. My eyes widened at this, afraid to open the picture attached to the tweet. I gasped loudly at the picture I saw. It was a photo from last night at the party, censored of course. How did they get this, I thought as I looked through more tweets. Everyone seemed to think I'd made a sex tape with a random guy. Even worse, it was trending worldwide. Everyone seemed to be saying that some news show was doing a story on it, so I closed my laptop and turned on the show. Sure enough, there was the pictures. I cried thinking about how many people knew about this already. Then my eyes widened and my breath caught in my throat. What if my family knew? I was panicking now, it was all over the news, the media. It was trending worldwide for crying out loud.**

******I turned off the tv, cautiously walking over to my door. I slowly opened it, peeking through to see if anyone was in the hallway.**

******Once determining that the coast was clear, I stepped out, walking towards the kitchen. I passed through the living room, seeing the younger kids playing while the older watched some cartoon I didn't recognize. I heard muffled voices in the kitchen. They weren't shouting, but their voice were raised. It scared me, so much that I contemplated running back to my room. But, I knew that I'd have to face them sometime. As I neared the door, I wishfully thought that maybe they didn't know, but that was unlikely. As I stepped through the door, the voices stopped, and all eyes were on me. **

******I noticed two things as I entered the room. First everyone, besides Thor, who was still on Asgard, was sat at the table. Second, they were watching that dreadful report about me an the pictures.**

******I looked over everyones face. My mom was silently crying, while my dad just looked downright disappointed. Everyone else had either shock or anger written in their features.**

******I took a deep breath as I heard the stupid tv reporter talk about how much of a disgusting slut I was, and how much this was going to ruin my reputation. It made made me angrier than I already was. These people sat in front of me, my family that I've lived with for a little over sixteen years, actually thought I did it. That I was the kind of person to go out and make a sex tape.**

******My thoughts were interrupted as my dad stood up.**

******"What were you thinking,"he asked sternly.**

******I didn't respond. I didn't know what to say. I didn't think I was ready to tell them I was raped, but I also didn't want them to think I actually did things like this. The memory brought tears to my eyes.**

******"I didn't mean to," I know, it's a lame thing to say, but not a complete lie.**

******"You didn't mean to?!" He shouted as he slammed his fist on the table, making everyone jump slightly.**

******The first of many tears cascaded down my face.**

******"Do you know what this means for us," he said gesturing to everyone at the table." I don't care if you want to ruin your reputation by going around and sleeping with all the guys, but I do care if you ruin ours." **

******This made me cry harder, knowing all he cared about was his reputation, more so than his own daughter.**

******"I'm sorry," I whispered, loud enough for everyone to hear.**

******"Oh, you're sorry," my dad laughed humorously, making me flinch,"Well, sorry isn't gonna cut it sweety, because, and I think I can speak for everyone here when I say that, we've lost all respect for you. Now go to your room while we discuss how to handle this mess.**

******I walked of the room, tears rapidly falling down my face.**

******"Celeste, why are you crying, are you okay?" I heard Johnna's little voice call out.**

******Not being able to speak, I ran back to my room, shutting and locking my door. I slid down the old wood sobbing uncontrollably now. I didn't care if anyone heard. They probably wouldn't even care if they did hear.**

******~flashback over~ **

******So, yeah, that's what started this whole mess, sucks right. Well it gets even worse...**


	2. Chapter 2

**At this time, 3 months later, the whole scandal has blown over. In the media at least. My family, well, that's a different story. The week following the incident, everyone, excluding Pepper and Jane, refused to talk to me. I'd never felt so alone before. Not to mention the reporters that practically camped out in front of the tower.**

**I was grounded for 5 months. I still have 2, tedious months of sitting here, doing nothing. I'm not allowed to used my phone or computer, so I haven't talked to Kaya since that night. Thankfully, though, my family decided not to tell their children what they thought I had done, so I at least had some people that looked at me normally. They may think I don't notice, but I see the nasty glares they give me. That is, except for Jane and Pepper. I had never been closer with the two. They were the only ones who treated me like family. For some time after the incident, I would break down at any given moment, and they would be there, comforting me, telling me it was gonna be okay, even when they didn't really know. They were doing what my parents were supposed to be doing. **

**Speaking of my parents, I truly think they hate me and, no, I'm not exaggerating. My dad barely talks to me, avoiding me at all costs. My moms no different, only talking to me if necessary, never smiling at me, or talking to me about girl stuff, not that she really ever did that before, but I still miss her. They never hug me, kiss me, or say goodnight. The only significant communication I get from them are disappointed glares that make me feel oh so great, note the sarcasm.**

**This happening though, has made me learn how to better defend myself. I already knew how to fight from my mom training me and archery from my dad, but there were days I just spent in the gym, working, so that something like that would never happen again.**

**I regret not telling them what really happened when I had the chance. That I didn't want it to happen. Being alone after something like that happened didn't really help me either. I've been depressed most of the time, having too much time with my own thoughts. I'll never admit it to anyone, but about a week ago, I almost took my own life. It was a sucky time, and I had just gotten into a heated argument with Steve, about my morals. Pepper was working and Thor had taken Jane out to dinner. Just seeing the discouraged look on the face of one of the people grew up idolizing, knowing that I caused it, broke me. I ran away, crying, in the middle of the argument, no doubt confusing Steve. I ran all the way to my on suite bathroom, shutting and locking the door. I remember sliding down the door , silently sobbing, wishing I could somehow escape from the emotional pain. I frantically searched around the bathroom, hoping to find something I could do it with. I came up with a razor-like object located under the sink. I made 2 clean cuts, not too deep. I thought about what would happen if I finished though. Nobody would know the truth, and I would die for nothing. So I put the razor away, and cleaned the cuts, retreating to my bed afterward, even though it was the middle of the day.**

**In my opinion, that's when my depression became severe. I never smiled, not ever, not for Jane, Pepper, maybe for the sake of the kids, but even that was rare. I only left my room for food and other necessities. I stopped trying, gave up and steered clear of any human contact. Just like now, I lay in my bed, staring at the wall. I hadn't showered in four days, so my red curls didn't look that amazing, and I wasn't wearing make-up. Despite the shining July sun, the blinds were closed and the lights were off. I don't know what time it is. Can't be passed one though, cause we haven't had lunch yet.**

**As if on cue, I heard footsteps approach my door. Not two seconds later, I heard the knob turn and the door creak open.**

**"Celeste?" I heard the familiar voice of my uncle Bruce call out. I didn't bother answering and continued my staring contest with the wall. Even though I was facing away from him, he knew I was awake.**

**"Celeste," he repeated, something like concern leaking through his tone. He couldn't be concerned for me though, no one in this tower could. After not responding, I heard him sigh in defeat.**

**"Jane made lunch for everyone. It's in the kitchen." He sounded conquered, and soon after I heard his retreating footsteps move down the hallway. **

**When I couldn't hear them anymore, I stood up, stretching my arms. I didn't bother changing out of my pajamas, and began shuffling toward the kitchen. **

**"Celeste!" I heard a tiny voice call out. I turned, seeing quite possibly my favorite person in the tower. I gave a small smile.**

**"Hey Johnna, how's it going?"**

**"Great, I'm going to eat lunch," she explained grabbing my hand and began walking towards the kitchen with me. "You are too, right Celeste?"**

**I nodded, returning her grin.**

**We continued to chat, walking hand in hand, until we arrived at the kitchen. Everyone was already sat at the round table, chatting away. Me and Johnna sat in the empty seats next to each other and took food for ourselves. Johnna began talking to the other kids, while I focused on my food, my eyes never leaving my plate. Everyone talked and laughed while I just say there, eating my food. This worked for about five minutes, until I heard,**

**"Celeste?"**

**It startled me. Nobody usually talks to me during lunch. I wasn't going to acknowledge it, but all conversation died down because the person said it so loud. I hesitated, but looked up nonetheless. Everyone was looking at me, but uncle Steve, who was sitting at the opposite side of the table from me, was giving me a questioning look, waiting for my answer**

**"Yes?" I said monotonously.**

**"Can I speak to you in private, please?"**

**Memories of that night flashed through my head. That was how he got me alone. The memory brought tears to my eyes that i quickly suppressed. I recovered and nodded in return. I knew he wanted to acknowledge the fight we had, but I was dreading it, afraid another one would start.**

**He stood up and walked out of the kitchen, and I followed suit, anxious about what was to happen.**

**We ended up in the humungous living room, as we sat next to each other on the long, modern looking couch. The comfy black leather squeaked under me as I tried to get comfortable. Although I knew he was looking straight at me, I refused to make eye contact.**

**"Celeste," he said.**

**"Yeah?"**

**"Celeste," he repeated,"Look at me."**

**He didn't say it harshly, so I raised my head, my blue eyes meeting his. I immediately softened, no matter how my family treated me, I could never truly hate them.**

**"I want to talk about the fight we had last week."**

**I took a deep breath.**

**"I just want to say, it was way out of line for me to treat you like that," he said, surprising me,"No matter what choices you make, your my niece, maybe not by blood, but I love you like one, so I should treat you like one."**

**After he said that, I was on the verge of tears. Happy ones. It was amazing to know that someone still cared.**

**"Thank you," I managed to croak out before the dam broke.**

**I covered my face with my hands as I sobbed quietly. I felt two strong arms wrap around me. This gesture made me cry harder, considering it was the first hug I had got from him in three months. **

**"I love you, Celeste, don't ever forget that," he whispered in my ear.**

**I cleared my throat,"I love you too."**


	3. Chapter 3

**It's been a week since uncle Steve apologized, and I'm freaking out. Aunt Pepper said she was going on a late night run to the store, and asked me if I needed any 'lady products'. Now, under normal circumstances, this question wouldn't scare me, but, it did make me realize that this is the third time I've missed my time of the month. Now, I know what your thinking, how in the hell did I not notice this before. To answer your question, my period has always been irregular, I've just never not had it for three months straight. I wasn't sure if he used a condom, but then again, why would he?**

**So, I stand here, pacing in my room, trying to think of a solution. I wanted to know for sure before I went into full panic mode. Normally, I would just go out and buy a test, but I'm still grounded, meaning I can't go out. I contemplated asking Pepper to get me one, but I was afraid of what she'd think. Besides, she'd probably tell my parents, which I certainly didn't want. Then again, what choice do I have? If I am pregnant, my parents are gonna find out anyway.**

**I took a deep breath,"Jarvis?"**

**"Yes, Miss Barton?" His accented, robotic voice answered.**

**"Did Pepper leave for the store yet?" I prayed she was still here.**

**"No, Mrs. Stark is currently in the living room preparing to leave."**

**I sighed in relief,"Thanks Jarvis."**

**When I got to the living room , Pepper was on her phone, something for work, as she yelled at the person on the other end of the line. When she saw me, she held up a finger, telling me to wait until she finished.**

**A minute later, she hung up the phone and smiled.**

**"What do you need Celeste?"**

**"You're still going to the store, right?"**

**"Yeah, I thought you said you didn't need anything," she said confused.**

**I bit my lip and laughed nervously. **

**"Yeah, I actually do."**

**"Well, tell me, I'll get it for you," she responded.**

**I looked down.**

**"Um... Ineedapregnancytest," I replied, speaking rapidly. I looked up at her face, and by the looks of it, she could tell what I said. She looked perplexed, as if trying to comprehend what I just said.**

**"You need a pregnancy test," she asked shakily.**

**I just nodded in return, to pained to speak. I could tell she was ashamed, which brought tears to my eyes. Startling me, she wrapped her tiny arms around my body.**

**"Oh, Celeste, it's going to be okay," her voice cracked, a clear sign she was crying.**

**"Thank you," I responded.**

**It's been an hour since Pepper left, and she's still not back. I wrung my hands nervously as I paced back and forth. I sighed in anticipation, searching for something to occupy myself with.**

**"Celeste," someone said, interrupting my thoughts.**

**I turned around and immediately smiled.**

**"Yes Johnna," I asked the sleepy 5 year old that stood in front of me.**

**"I had a bad dream," she said miserably as I picked her up and sat down on my bed."Can you sing to me Celeste?"**

**"Sure thing kiddo," I replied.**

**I started singing the lullaby I always sing when Johnna has a nightmare. She always comes to me when she does. Although I'm not the best at it, I've always loved to sing. I used to do it all the time, before I was raped, then it just stopped.**

**Johnna was asleep halfway through the song, and I tucked her into my bed, not in the mood to carry her all the way back to her room.**

**Once I finished with Johnna, Pepper finally walked in, clutching a brown paper bag. She looked nervous.**

**"I brought 4, just in case you get mixed results," she explained as she handed it to me.**

**I gave her thankful expression as I cautiously grabbed the bag and continued to the bathroom.**

**As I walked to the bathroom, several scenarios ran through my head. What if I am pregnant? Do I tell everyone what really happened? Would they even believe me at this point? After that night, I promised myself that I wouldn't tell anyone what really happened. Of course, I didn't know he filmed it, or that he would leak stills from the video online. It just goes to show that a picture can mean nothing. They have double meanings. Everyone thought they understood what was going on in the photos, but if they saw the video, it would be a different story. They would know that I clearly told him no, that I didn't want it and that I tried to stop him. **

**When I closed the bathroom door, violent images flashed through my head as I recalled what happened that night. I've always wished I could go back and prevent what happened. Life would be so much simpler. I lost everything because of one stupid mistake. I felt a tear cascade down my cheek as I read the instructions on the test. **

**I felt a sense of dread wash over me as I finished the tests. Now came the worst part, waiting. I was never a patient person, even now, as I sat on the counter, antsy and restless, knowing this would be the worst five minutes if my life.**

**I glanced at the clock, realizing it had been five minutes already, and the tests should show positive or negative now. I took a deep, shaky breath, clutching the countertop, steadying myself from the wave of nausea that came over me. I slowly slid off the counter, warily walking over to the tests I had previously place on a shelf. My breath caught in my throat as I examined the white sticks. I was vaguely aware of the tears rushing down my face as I backed away from shelf, unable to comprehend what I was seeing. All four of them showed two straight lines, validating my worst nightmare. I had convinced myself that it wouldn't be true. That something like this couldn't possibly happen to me. But it did. **

**I sat there, crying, for God knows how long, praying that this was all just a dream and that I'd wake up and everything would be back to normal. But the longer I sat there, the more real this situation became to me. I was pregnant, and there was nothing I could do about it. What I really needed to focus on was figuring out how to tell everyone. I tried to think of ways to hide it, but my growing abdomen would be a dead giveaway. An abortion was out of the question. Even though this was my rapists baby, I was against that. I decided the best way to go about this was to be straightforward about it. I would just tell them, tomorrow at breakfast, when everyone was together. It would be like ripping off a band aid. Quick and easy, and you only feel the pain afterwards.**

**After planning my announcement, I retreated to my bed, lying down next to Johnna, and falling into a deep, dreamless sleep.**

**I awoke to someone shaking my shoulders. I blinked my eyes open, locking them with Johnnas emerald green ones. She was still in her striped pajama onsie, her dirty blonde hair falling loose around her shoulders as she gave me a toothy grin.**

**"Celeste, it's time to wake up and eat breakfast," she chirped. I groaned, turning over, knowing the sooner I got up, the sooner I would have to tell my family my secret.**

**"Come on, I'm hungry," she whined, shaking me again.**

**I sighed deeply, "Okay, okay, I'm up."**

**I stood up and yawned as she cheered and ran out the door, no doubt making a beeline for the kitchen.**

**I contemplated climbing back into my bed and calling it a day, but as appealing as that sounded, I knew I'd have to tell my family I was pregnant sooner or later, and I'd rather it not be later. So, with that in mind, I walked out of my room with my head held high, making my way to the kitchen.**

**My nerves increased throughout the duration of the meal. Every minute, my heart rate increased, knowing I was one minute closer to my doom. Everyone was happy, chattering, as if it were a normal day, but I knew better, I knew of the drama that was about to unfold. Everyone ignored me, as usual but I could feel Peppers gaze on me. I knew she was dying to know what happened after she left my room last night, but soon enough, she would find out. After Kayla and Jane had cleared the food and dishes, I did the thing no one expected. I stood up and cleared my throat. Both the children and adults quieted down. The adults looked beyond surprised as I turned towards the kids.**

**"Could you all go play in the living room? I have something important to say to all the adults." **

**They all agreed, but before she left, Johnna had to hug me. Silence filled the room when the kids left. I turned around, facing them as they still sat at the table. Most of them looked puzzled as to why I suddenly had something to say to them. All except Pepper, who looked sad. She probably already pieced it together, knowing what I was about to reveal. I hesitated, not knowing if I was ready, but I had to, there was no turning back now.**

**I cleared my throat again, "So, you're all probably wondering what I have to say to you."**

**They all nodded, encouraging me to go on.**

**"Well, as we all know, some... events took place a couple months ago, that have effected us all,"I explained.**

**At this, they looked even more perplexed, wondering why I was bringing it up.**

**"What is it Celeste," my mom surprisingly spoke up, sounding genuinely curious.**

**"Well, you see, something's happened that I thought you should all know," I said, not quite knowing how to say it."I know you all may be disappointed or ashamed of what I'm about to tell you, but keep in mind that I didn't want this either."**

**I had everyones attention now as they were practically on the edge of their seat, anticipation clear in their features.**

**So I gave them what they wanted,"I'm pregnant."**

**I can feel the tension spike in the air, like it does before a major storm. My dad stands up, looking as angry as ever. He takes a step towards me, fists clenched, icy blue eyes narrowed and body stiff. He's about to deliver a verbal punch that I do not want to hear.**

**"Get out,"he says venomously.**

**My eyes widen a little. I expected a lot of things to be said here, but getting kicked out was not one of them. Everyone else looked as if they were trying to grasp what I had just said. Tears were rapidly falling down Peppers face as I had just confirmed her suspicions.**

**"Did you not hear me? I said get out, right now. You are not welcome here anymore," my dad said at a dangerously low tone**

**I start to lose control of my emotions as clear, salty drops descended from my tear duct. My vision blurred as I stared at the man in front of me. I felt like I didn't even know him anymore, and he clearly didn't know me very well. First, he thinks that I'd be the kind of girl to go around sleeping with random guys, while taping it, and now... now he's willing to leave me, when my vulnerability is highest, when I need his unconditional love the most.**

**Nobody says anything, afraid it would contradict with what my dad says. I almost don't blame them, given the cold, hard glare he's giving me. Almost. Still, I made no move toward the door. My theory was, the longer I stay here, the more he calms down. Hopefully, he would then realize he was being completely irrational. It was then though, he delivered an emotional blow I wasn't sure I could recover from.**

**"I knew from day one you would be a screw-up," he said,"so did everyone else, especially your mother."**

**I looked to my mom as she stood up and said,"Clint, stop this."**

**It was clear in her tone she want him to end it before he said something he would regret.**

**"No Natasha, I will not stop there, because she needs to hear this," he continued, turning back to face me,"You see, she knew you were gonna be the disappointment you are today so much, that she even tried to convince me to get an abortion." My breath caught in my throat as I heard the gasps of my family around me.**

**"Yes, you heard right, your mom wanted to abort you, I convinced her not to, although now I'm kind of wishing I didn't. And that baby inside you? It's gonna turn out exactly like its mother. A slut, a failure and a goddamn disappointment."**


	4. Chapter 4

My whole world stopped when he said that. It felt like he just punched me in the face. Mom wanted to abort me. And now, because I was pregnant, he wishes she did. My family looked shocked, at both the revelation and at what my dad said to me.

**I **looked into his eyes, looking for any trace of guilt or regret for the words he just threw at me. When I found nothing, I knew I had to leave before this escalated any further. It was clear that any emotional connection between my dad had to me was gone. All he looked at me with was pure hatred.

I look at him through my tears "Screw you," I said defiantly, before walking out. As I passed the kids, I could hear Johnna calling my name, asking where I was going, but I didn't answer her. Not only because I wasn't in the right state to be talking to her, but also because I didn't even know. I just knew I had to get the hell out of there.

I entered the elevator, immediately pressing the button that closed the doors. When they finally shut, I slid down one of the four walls as I put my head in my hands. Although I didn't appreciate it, cheesy music faintly played in the background as I rode to the lobby.

It was once I was out of the building and onto the sidewalk that I finally realized what I was wearing. Plaid pajama shorts and a red tank top. My wild red curls were in a messy bun, and although I was wearing no makeup, there were tear stains on my face.

I wiped my cheeks as I thought of where to go. And then it hit me. I could go to Kaya's apartment and explain what really happened at that party. She'd believe me. Hopefully.

As I stood In front of the apartment door, I hesitated. I haven't seen Kaya in so long. What if she thinks the same as my family does, and doesn't believe me. Then I have no where to go. It's worth a shot, I thought as I knocked on the door.

"I'll get it,"I heard someone call. Not two seconds later, I heard footsteps come towards the door. I desperately hoped it was Kaya as I heard the locks click.

The door opened, and sure enough, there stood my old best friend. She didn't look much different. Still as tall as ever, she wore jean shorts with a gray v-neck. Her hair fell loosely around her shoulders. I almost cried, not having seen her for three months.

Her eyes widened as she looked at me. She showed no clear emotion though. I feared that she would slam the door in my face, but instead she came toward and enveloped me in a tight embrace.

"Celeste, is it really you," I nodded," I haven't seen you since..."

"The party..." I whispered. We separated and locked eyes

"Is it true? Did you really..." She trailed off.

"That's what I came here to talk to you about." I said,"Can I come in."

"Oh! Yeah, sorry, come in. Go to my room, we can talk there."

She opened the door wider allowing me to step in. I walked to her room as she followed silently.

We both sat on the bed and faced each other.

"Is anyone else here?" I asked.

"Just Ryan," she said, referring to her little brother,"but he won't bother us," she reassured.

"Okay," I took a deep breath, preparing to tell her the long, complicated story."I'll start with the night of the party."

And with that, I told Kaya everything from the night of the party to now. Even the rape. I knew I could trust her with this information. She was my best friend after all.

She didn't interrupt me, just listened as I poured my heart out.

When I was finally finished, she had this blank look on her face. For a few seconds she did nothing but stare at me. But finally, a tear fell from her eye, and she embraced me once again.

"I can't believe that happened to you," she whispered. I started crying. Not out of sadness, but relief. It felt as if a huge weight had been lifted off of me. I had finally told someone the truth about that night, and she believed me.

"Ya know what Celeste," she said suddenly, catching me off guard.

"What," I asked confused.

"We need to let everyone know what really happened that night."

"And how are we gonna do that?"

"That kid, that, ya know...raped you, I recognized him in the pictures. I was friends with him in elementary school," she said.

"And..." I said, encouraging her to continue.

"And I know where he lives. I'll just go there and get the video, and once I do, we'll leak that on the Internet, so everyone will know that you didn't want it," she revealed her plan to me.

"Okay, now how do you expect to get the video. You think he'll just hand it over to you," I pointed out.

"I have my ways," she said vaguely,"now lets go."

She said walking out the door. I had no choice but to follow as she rushed down the hall towards the door.

"What about your brother?"

"Oh, he'll be fine, besides, this is much more important," she said, rushing out the door.

I sighed as we got into her car.

"This is never going to work," I said.

"Oh stop thinking so negatively, we'll get it," she assured me.

The ride was silent and soon enough, we pulled up to yet another apartment building. As Kaya went to open the door I stopped her.

"What," she asked.

"Be careful," I said, knowing what this guy was capable of.

"Always," she said, smiling at me, before exiting the car and entering the building. I rested my head against the back of my seat as I waited. Like I said before, patience is not my thing. Especially in this situation. My best friend was confronting my rapist. Not knowing what was going on was driving me insane. I tapped my foot nervously, when she didn't return after five minutes. I bit my lip, contemplating whether to go in or not. For all I know, he could be hurting her, while I just sit her, doing nothing. Just as I was about to exit the car, I spotted Kaya leaving the building. She looked alright, and she was holding something in her hand, maybe the video.

She open the car door and got in nonchalantly. It was then that I noticed her bloody knuckles. My eyes widened as she threw a DVD into my lap. She looked towards me.

"Piece. Of . Cake."

I smiled, so happy I could cry,"What happened in there?"

She started the car and pulled away from the curb, heading back to her apartment. As she kept her eyes trained on the road in front of her, I saw her smirk.

"Oh, nothing, we just had a little chat," she said slyly.

I grinned from ear to ear, crying for about the thousandth time today,"Kaya," I said, my voice cracking, but I didn't care.

"Yeah?"

"Thank you," I said genuinely grateful

"Hey," she said when she saw my tear stained face,"don't mention it."

I smiled,"How can I not. I will appreciate this more than you could ever know."

We sat in a comfortable silence for the rest of the ride back to her place.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N hey guys, I decided to write something on this chapter. Thanks to all the readers and reviewers. I honestly didn't expect this story to get the feedback it did. Anyway, here's chapter 5. Enjoy, and keep reviewing :)**

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I stared at the DVD in my lap, wondering how something so small could mean so much. It was the solution to all of my problems. I could just put it out there and this would all be over. I'd have my life back.

"Celeste!"

I broke out of my trance, snapping my head up to see Kaya already out of the car. I was too caught up in my own thoughts to even notice when we stopped.

"Come on, were back," she said, closing her door and walking away.

She was right, we were back at her old brick apartment building. I sighed and exited the car, making my way to the building. I hesitated though, just before I opened the wide glass door. I felt the sudden urge to run away. I didn't know where, I just knew I wanted to. Why, though, I should be rushing in there right along with Kaya. Yet I wasn't. This was my ticket back to a normal life, well, at least as normal as it was before, but I just couldn't do it for some reason. I shook my head, trying to get rid of those thoughts as I walked into the building and towards the elevator.

Once in her apartment, I slowly stalked to her room. Upon entering the room, I saw Kaya, on her bed, laptop already on set on her lap.

She patted the spot next to her, inviting me to sit down. I made no movement, though.

"Kaya..." I trailed off.

She didn't even look up,"What are you doing? Come sit down and give me the video. The sooner we put it up, the better."

Still, I made no movement. It was as if my feet were glued to her carpet. She looked up this time, her face a mix of confusion and concern.

"Celeste, what are you doing?"

"I... I just don't think I can do this," I said looking down at my feet.

"Why the sudden change of heart," she said disbelievingly,"you were all for it before."

"Well, yeah, that was before, but now that I have it, it just doesn't seem real. I just don't know if I'm ready for everyone to know," I sighed.

"Come on," she said suddenly, jumping off of her bed. She strode over to me, grabbing my wrist and leading me out the door. Having no choice, I allowed her to drag me out of the apartment and onto the sidewalk.

"What are you doing," I asked puzzled.

She let go of my wrist and pointed to a building. I turned around, still confused as to what she was trying to do, and began studying the array of skyscrapers. I stopped searching, though once my eyes finally found the trademark A that isolated it from the others.

I stared at it for a while, just thinking.

I remember my dad telling me the story of how the A got there in the first place.

~flashback~

"Daddy," a five year old me tugged on my dads shirt, desperately trying to get his attention. It was a late summer night as we walked down the streets of upper Manhattan. I was just able to see the top of the tower. I knew i lived there because I had seen the A before. It fascinated me as a child that they could manage to get something so big up that high.

He stopped walking as he looked down at me,"What is it sweetheart?"

"How did the big A get on our house?"

He chuckled, taking my hand as we once again began to walk.

"Well, you know it used to say Stark on there, because uncle Tony lived there alone," he explained," but then, this mean man came to New York and there was this huge battle, with huge monsters and aliens," my eyes widened at this," and they accidentally knocked off all the letters, except for that A. Then, me, mommy and your uncles started living there. We decided to keep the A instead of putting Stark back up there, so everyone could know that we, the Avengers, lived there."

"Wow," I said amazed,"did you fight against the aliens daddy?"

"Sure did. So did mommy."

I gasped,"Really?!"

He grinned," Yep."

"Weren't you guys scared?"

He nodded,"We were, but we had to be brave, so we could help everyone."

I smiled,"I love you daddy."

"I love you too kiddo."

"I always will," he added.

~flashback over~

I felt a tear roll down my cheek as I snapped back to reality. He said he would _always_ love me. Now look where we are.

Kaya stepped in front of me. We locked eyes.

"That building over their," she said pointing behind her,"is where you've lived your whole. Every great memory you've ever had, was in that place right over there." I looked down, knowing she was right.

"Celeste," she said, forcing me to look up again,"everyone you love is there. If you don't do this, if you don't upload this video, you'll never go back there, and you'll never see them again. Who cares what people think if they see this, everyone will know the truth, and you'll have your life back. You won't have to cry all the time, or be depressed, and you can have your baby with your family's support."

It did sound appealing. Not getting emotional all the time, being able to have a normal conversation with my family. But above all that, i wanted my parents back. I missed how me and my dad used to shoot together and how mom would bring me along on her missions when I didn't have school. Then there was Johnna. I had a great relationship with all of my other cousins, but even they knew, me and Johnna had the strongest bond. She'd be devastated if I left and never came back. As much as I would love to live with Kaya, I knew I had to go back.

I took a deep breath,"I hate to admit it, but your right."

She grinned triumphantly,"Yes, I am. Now, does that mean that we can go inside and put the video out there?"

I sighed, but smiled,"Yeah, let's go, before I change my mind."

She cheered and ran back in, me following close behind.

"You're sure you want to do this?"

I was currently in Kaya's room. We were seated next to each other on her bed, while her laptop sat in front of both of us. We decided we'd post the video on mine and Kaya's twitter, and YouTube, hoping it'd go viral, like the pictures did.

I nodded without thought, just wanting to get it over with. She typed a few things, clicked a few buttons before leaning back nonchalantly.

"It's done."

"Really? So... what do we do now," I asked anxious.

"Now, we wait."

Oh great..


	6. Chapter 6

**I tapped my foot anxiously as me and Kaya sat on her bed, doing nothing. Although it felt like an eternity, it had only been a day since we uploaded the video. I had slept over her house the night before. Her mom, surprisingly, was thrilled to see me, saying I never came over anymore. I thought maybe she hadn't heard about what happened, but the looks she gave me, told me otherwise. They weren't judgemental, just...concerned.**

**Anyway, we haven't look at a computer, a phone or turned on a tv since. We had decided to give it sometime, wait it out, hoping for the best. It had seemed like a good idea at the time, but I couldn't do it. Like I said before, it drives me absolutely mad to not know whats going on. **

**Has anyone seen it? Does anyone care? Is it trending yet? Has my family seen it? All these questions ran through my mind as I stared at the laptop in front of me, as if it was going to answer me. I wanted so badly to just open it and look, but unfortunately, I knew Kaya would stop me.**

**I looked over at her hopefully,"Kaya, can we look yet?" **

**My voice was dripping with desperation. I couldn't take it anymore. I needed to know.**

**She looked at me, sensing my distress."Sure, why not."**

**I grabbed the laptop before she could even finish her sentence, swiftly opening the computer and looking onto my twitter. I immediately looked at my mentions.**

**"What is it," Kaya asked, attempting to look over my shoulder at the screen.**

**"It worked," I whispered back.**

**My mentions were blowing up, just like the first time. The difference was though, ninety percent of these comments were out of pity and guilt. Though I'm not one to appreciate when people pity me, it still worked.**

**I scrolled down, skimming through the tweets, seeing things like,'This is terrible', and 'that never should have happened to you'**

**I got that same overwhelming feeling I got when I first told Kaya about the rape. Relief and reassurance that things could get better.**

**"This is amazing," Kaya said, reading along with me.**

**We next went to YouTube, learning that the video had indeed gone viral. I wasn't exactly ecstatic about that, but again, at least everyone knew the truth now.**

**"Let's check the news, see if anything happened there," Kaya said after I closed the laptop.**

**I nodded as she grabbed the remote. Once she turned on the appropriate channel, a story about a hit and run was playing. Shock was written all over my features as the story changed.**

**My picture was in the top left corner of the screen as the reporter began to speak.**

**"Turn it up," I demanded.**

**Kaya obeyed and we listened intently.**

**"In other news, a new development has occurred in the three month old sex scandal including the daughter of well-known Avengers, Natasha Romanoff and Clint Barton, Celeste Romanoff-Barton. Just yesterday, the alleged sex tape was tweeted by Celeste herself, and uploaded to YouTube. It took only two hours to go viral, as well as trend worldwide," he explained,"although, it took an unexpected turn as the video clearly shows that she was in fact raped. When this story first came to light, the public was outraged, and father, Clint Barton, quickly recovered and made a statement to the public within two days, saying, and I quote," I have to apologize for my daughters inappropriate behavior. We have yet to figure out why she did it, although we assure you, this does not and should not reflect on us, the Avengers. Everybody makes mistakes." Officials are beginning to investigate this tragedy, trying to get in touch with Celeste and her family. If you have any information on this case, please call XXX-XXX-XXXX."**

**I zoned out after that. I couldn't believe my story had gotten on the news this fast. My family had to know by now...**

**"Celeste," Kaya said, interrupting my thoughts.**

**"I think I need to leave now," I said." I owe my family an explanation.**

**She smiled understandingly,"Good luck."**

**The wind blew my hair in my face as I walked down the streets of New York. Despite it being the middle of summer, the sun was no where to be seen. The sky was an angry gray color, a clear sign that a nasty storm was approaching. I regretted not accepting the ride Kaya offered as the sky's first tears fell upon me.**

**I had told her that I would walk, that I needed time to think. Which I did. **

**Several scenarios ran through my head as I walked down the sidewalk, envying people that had umbrellas. **

**What if my family was mad that I didn't tell them and they still don't want me living there? Or maybe they'll let me stay out of guilt, but still treat me bad.**

**Again, I was so lost in my thoughts that it wasn't until I looked up that I saw the familiar glass doors. I took out my key and swiped it, the light turned green as I was granted entrance.**

**I took a deep breath as I made my way towards the elevator. I hesitated before I pushed the button though. They'll probably be in the living room and I don't want them to see me just when I walk in, so I decided to take the stairs.**

**I slowly opened the door to the living room, trying to be as silent as possible.**

**The couch faced away from me, so no one saw me enter. What I saw shocked me though. Everyone was together. Thor sat with Jane and Kirby. Tony and Pepper with Anabeth. Johnna was on Steve's lap and Evan on Kayla's. my mom and dad sat next to each other, while Ava was fast asleep, cuddled in the crook of Bruce's neck. It didn't shock me so much that they were sat together. It was just that that's all they were doing. Sitting. No one said a word, made a move. It was unreal. **

**Of course Johnna took that moment to look back. I tried to duck, not wanting to be seen just yet, but she had already caught sight of me. **

**Her tiny emerald eyes widened as she gasped, making everyone jump.**

**She jumped off of Steve's lap, and made her way towards me. She jumped into my arms and buried her face into my neck as I heard other gasps in the room.**

**"I missed you so much. Where did you go?" **

**" I just had to leave for a little," I explained . I finally looked at everyone else in the room. Not surprisingly, all eyes were on me.**

**Thor stood up and said in a loud voice, "Children, can you all go to your rooms. We need to speak to Celeste alone." **

**To my surprise Johnna spoke up,"Your not gonna make her leave again, right."**

**"No Johnna, just go to your room please," Steve said.**

**Silence fell upon us yet again when the room was cleared. I took a deep breath and walked in front of the couch.**

**"Hi," I said shyly.**

**My dad got up suddenly and I flinched, remembering our last encounter. He stepped toward me and engulfed me in a hug. Not a second later, the tears started falling. It was like with uncle Steve, this was the first time in **_**three months**_** I got a hug from my own father.**

**" I'm so sorry," he said, his voice hoarse.**

**He held me tight as if he didn't want to let me go, and I didn't want to either. I felt like a little girl, I needed my father, and I had finally got him back.**

**"I never would have said the things I said if I had..."he said as he let me go. **

**My mom was next to hug me. She was crying, as well as everyone else by now.**

**"Why didn't you tell us Celeste ?" Steve asked.**

**"We could have helped you," Thor asked.**

**I hesitated and decided to start from the beginning.**

**I took a deep breath. This is going to be fun, I thought sarcastically. **

**"Well, let me start from the beginning..."**

* * *

******A/N: hey guys. Sorry this is a little late, but here's chapter 6. Thanks to everyone who follows this story and I appreciate the reviews. :) so... I hope you enjoyed**** it.**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: just to clarify, Celeste did **_not_ **forgive Clint in the last chapter, **_but_ I **can see how people would think that she did. That's my bad, more about it in this chapter, so enjoy and thank you for the reviews. :)**

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**I finished the story as quickly as I possibly could, trying to avoid details, and ending it with a sigh. This wasn't something I wanted to keep reliving. I never wanted to tell them this. **

**I steered clear of eye contact, looking everywhere but their faces. I was paranoid that I would see something I didn't want to. What if they were still disappointed in me, or somehow didn't believe me.**

**My thoughts were interrupted by a loud bang that echoed through the living room, catching everyone's attention. I looked before me, seeing that the sound was apparently uncle Thor, who had smashed the coffee table with his fist. I was surprised, considering it was a rare thing to see him visibly upset. His face was a mix of emotions, but one shined through. Fury. Hopefully about the events that I had just retold.**

**"I apologize," he mumbled, his voice absent of its usual enthusiasm and booming volume.**

**I didn't say anything, afraid I would break down and cry. Not out of sadness, though. Breaking that table showed he believed me, and again, although I'm not a fan of pity, I think I could use some right now.**

**I finally gained the courage to study everyone's reactions. Most were crying, if not, looking furious.**

**"I can't believe you endured that pain," my mom said, a blank look on her face as tears cascaded down her face," and along with the way we-the way that I treated you... my own daughter..."she trailed off.**

**I could tell this was tearing her apart emotionally. My dad too, who hadn't said a word yet, sat there, his head in his hands as his fists were clenched so tight his knuckles were white.**

**"How could I not have seen this," he finally spoke. His voice sounded broken, far from its usual commanding tone.**

**He stood up, suddenly, making me jump slightly. **

**"I'm gonna kill him," he said.**

**"Clint," my mom warned.**

**"No, I really am."**

**"I'll help,"uncle Tony said, standing up and walking towards my father.**

**"No one is killing anyone," I surprisingly spoke up," he's not worth it."**

**My dad looked at me as if I was insane.**

**"Not worth it," he said incredulously," Celeste he raped you, he hurt you. He deserves to die."**

**"Like you even care," I regretted the words as soon as they left my mouth. His face contorted with pain, as if I had just punched him in the face.**

**"Of course I care. I love you Celeste," he said desperately,"Always will."**

**My vision blurred as he said that, as all my current emotions were replaced with anger.**

**"Really? You always will," I said with an accusing tone,"because it didn't seem like that when you openly told me you wished had aborted me because I was such a 'goddamn disappointment'," the tears fell faster," or when you kicked me out when I needed you the most, or even maybe when defaced me to the public because I 'ruined your precious reputation'."**

**I was breathing heavily as I looked around, seeing everyone's faces, full of shock and sadness. My dad looked shattered as the tears fell from he eyes. Seeing him made guilt swell up in my chest.**

**"I-I just...I have to leave," I stuttered, rushing out of the room before anyone could stop me. I made my way to my room, hoping no one would follow. I shut my door upon arrival and sat on my bed, placing my head in my hands. I tried to convince myself that he deserved that, that I hated him, but I wasn't so sure, I couldn't help but feel guilty about what I just said.**

**My head snapped up as a knock sounded from my door.**

**I hesitated,"Come in," I called out weakly.**

**The door creaked open and I was shocked to see my father enter the room, warily walking towards the bed.**

**He looked toward the empty space next to me questioningly,"May I?"**

**I nodded unsure as he sat down slowly facing towards me. I faced home, but evaded eye contact.**

**"Celeste, I..." He trailed off and cleared his throat,"I never meant to make you feel unwanted. If I had known what really happened to you, I would have never said the things I said or done the things I did."**

**"You didn't even ask what happened," I whispered in a betrayed tone. **

**"You just assumed," I added,"based off a stupid picture."**

**"Well what did you expect me to do?"**

**"The exact opposite of what you did. When someone you love needs you,you never turn your back on them. You help them through the hard stuff, no matter what," my voice cracked,"you said you would always love me."**

**He let out a strangled sob, once again placing his head in his hands.**

**"I'm so sorry," he cried, repeating it over and over again, still sobbing.**

**"I'm a horrible father," he said," I should have known."**

**"No, you're not a bad father," I assured him,"you just could've shown a little more love. I needed it."**

**"Can you ever forgive me," he whispered.**

**I looked at him, hesitating.**

**" I'm not sure yet," I said," I need some time to think." **

**He nodded, understandingly, but sadly, stalking out of my room.**

**On one hand I felt I should forgive him. After all, I had three months to tell him what happened and I could've avoided all of this. Also, my primary goal when posting the video was to get my family back, and this was my chance, why not take it and forgive him. I shouldn't hold a grudge.**

**But on the other hand, he said so many hurtful things to me, and ultimately didn't unconditionally love me when I needed it the most. Even if he didn't know I was raped. Not to mention that he kicked me out, and then there's what he said to the press.**

**I rubbed my temples as a headache overcame me. I decided to sleep on it and think more about it in the morning. I laid down, my conflicted thoughts making it difficult to fall asleep. After about an hour of of tossing and turning, tiredness over came me as I fell into a dreamless sleep.**


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: here's chapter 8. Enjoy and please review :)**

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Thenext morning, I woke up to three urgent knocks that echoed through my room. I snapped my eyes open, instantly regretting it as they were burned by the sun that flooded through my window. I squinted my eyes, as they attempted to adjust to the bright light.

I picked myself up wearily, simultaneously yawning and stretching. The events that occurred last night came rushing back as I unhurriedly made my way to the door. I desperately smoothed out my untamable birds nest of a hair, making an effort to look presentableforwhoever was at the other side of the door.

I unlocked the door, hoping it wasn't my dad, due to the fact that I hadn't made a decision whether to forgive him or not. Opening the door just a little, I peeked through the small gap, confused, yet relieved, to see my cousins, minus Ava, patiently waiting out side my doorway. I opened my door wider and studied them curiously, trying to figure out why they were here.

They all still wore their pajamas. Unlike the usual joyful feeling I got from seeing them,they radiated sadness. Johnna's eyes were red, her nose was too, a clear sign she had been crying. Evan stood close to Kirby. They both had troubled looks on their faces, while Anabeth, who stood the tallest of the four, wore a somber look.

My observations were interrupted when Anabeth spoke up,

"Hey, can we come in? We want to talk to you about something."

I nodded, still perplexed as they walked through the doorway. They all sauntered over to my bed, plopping down on the edge of the bed. I grabbed the chair from my desk, rolling it over, so I was sat in front of them. I lowered myself onto the chair, not sure of what was about to unfold.

"Guys, whats up?" I asked carefully.

"We know something's going on," Kirby said.

I raisedmy eyebrows,"You do?"

"Yes, but nobody will tell us what happened," Johnna whined.

"Whenever we ask our parents, they say you got hurt, but not to worry about it," Anabeth spoke this time.

"And when you left, daddy was really sad, and he didn't want to talk to us, but he wouldn't tell us why," Evan added.

"And when you came back, you seemed sad too. we heard you yelling too. We just want to know what happened," I could see the tears forming in Johnna's eyes as she spoke.

I smiled sadly at them. I was glad they loved me enough to be concerned, but I really didn't know what to say. If I tell them the truth, they wouldn't really understand, but I can't tell them nothing. I deeply sighed as I formulated a response in my head.

I took a deep breath and looked at them, "Yes, a while back, I did get hurt, but not to badly. And everyone may seem angry and sad right now, but I know for sure that things will go back tonormal soon."

I was satisfied with my answer, but they weren't.

"How were you hurt," Evan asked innocently.

"Umm.." I shakily said,"someone hurt me."

"Who would hurt you," Johnna asked, the tears finally descending down her face.

I quickly got up and hugged her close to me.

"Don't worry about that. I'm okay now," I soothed her.

Slowly, the other children began to join our hug. We sat there for a while, just sitting there together. It felt nice, to be with all of them. I didn't last much longer though, as it was ruined by a voice calling out from the kitchen.

**"**Breakfast is ready everybody."

We slowly separated and got off the bed. I lifted Johnna up and set her on my hip, wiping away her tears gently.

"Are we all ready to go?" I asked happily, desperately trying to cheer everyone up.

Everyone nodded and walked out my door. I held Johnna as I strode out the door and down the hallway.

I walked into the kitchen confidently, setting Johnna down, immediately sitting in the one directly next to it.

I looked around the large round table, noticing that everyone had arrived. I tried to avoid looking at my dad. I didn't want to think about that right now.

Therewas an awkward feeling in the air as everyone began to eat. It was exactly like when I had come home last night. Unusually silent. Normally there would be chatter, laughing, yelling, anything. Now, a ordinary person may find that kind of constant, loud noise annoying. But growing up here, this was that type of noise that I found irritating. Silence. Not to mention to looks everyone was giving me. They would quickly glance at me, as if they wanted to say something, but then quickly look away. The silence, combined with the looks got on my nerves so much that I was forced to speak up.

"Okay. I know there's some drama going down right now, but can we please act normal?"

Slowly, but surely, people began to chat quietly. I breathed a sigh of relief, as the silence that was killing me was gone.

Ifocused on my plate, not wanting to talk to anyone right now. But of course, you can't always get what you want.

"Celeste," I heard someone say.

My head turned to the left, and I locked eyes with Pepper. Thankfully, she sat next to me, so nobody really noticed our conversation.

"Yes?"

" I think we need to talk about whats going on," she said.

I sighed internally. As much as I loved Pepper, I really was not in the mood to discuss this.

"What about it," I asked wearily.

"Well, I don't know if you saw, but, like last time, there's a bunch of press waiting outside the tower, so you probably won't be able to go out for a while," she responded.

I nodded sadly, not surprised.

"Also, and don't feel obligated to make a decision right now, everyone's curious to know if you want to press charges against...you know... him," she said gently.

I looked her in the eyes, thinking hard.

Did I? I just wanted this to be over with, yet he deserved to be brought to justice for what he did to me. He should be put away so he doesn't ruin some other poor girls life.

"I don't know yet," I said quietly.

"Which is understandable," she said sympathetically," but just know Celeste, that if you ever need to talk about anything and you need help, just know that you can come to me."

I genuinely smiled and gave her a side hug.

"I already knew that."

As I finished eating my food, I remembered something.

"Hey mom," I said.

Shelooked over to me, a little shocked,"Yes?"

" I was wondering if I could get my stuff back early..."

After the incident, when I got grounded for 5 months, that included my laptop and cellphone being taken away. Now that the truth was out, I assumed I could get it back early.

Her face looked confused at first, but quickly changed to recognition.

"Yes, of course, I'll go get it now," she said quickly as she stood up and strolled out of the kitchen.

I waited patiently for her return, scanning the room. Everyone was still chatting, except for one person. My father. He had a blank look on his face as he stared at nothing. His food looked untouched, and his arms were crossed in front of him. He had a conflicted look on his face. Guilt swelled up inside me as I knew I was to blame for his current state.

I was snapped out of my thoughts as my mom entered the kitchen once again, my laptop and cellphone occupying her hand. I stood up and walked towards her, retrieving my items. I thanked her as I walked out of the kitchen and back to my room.

It felt good to have my stuff back.

I closed my door and set my laptop back onto my desk. I turned on my phone, immediately texting Kaya, alerting her that I got it back.

I went on my laptop, searching the web, seeing what I had missed while I was grounded.

My phone vibrated and I smiled, thinking it was Kaya.

But I frowned, seeing that my prediction was wrong.

A notification of a text from an unknown number showed. I unlocked my phone and gasped as I saw the text**.**

**'Hey babe. How's it going?;)'**

I calmed myself down. Maybeit was just a wrong number**.**

**'Who is this?' **I texted back. I looked back to my computer. Not a minuted later, my phone vibrated yet again. I unlocked my phone. My heart stopped as I read the new text**.**

**'Ready for round 2?'**


	9. Chapter 9

I swear, my heart stopped as I saw the message before me. Although it was right in front of my face, it was as if I couldn't read it. I didn't want it to be true. Tears pricked my eyes as I try to grasp what this meant. He was gonna come back for me.

How could this even happen, I thought to myself. My breathing quickened as i began to sweat. It's impossible, it can't be him, there's no way, I desperately attempted to reassure myself.

I attempted to calm myself down, trying to think rationally. I took a deep breath, remembering something my mom always told me.

"Never jump to conclusions, consider all possibilities and don't make rash decisions."

Okay, I sighed, finally relaxed. I couldn't let my emotions get the best of me.

Maybe it's not even him, it could just be some weirdo that got my phone number and thought it'd be fun to mess with me. After all, everyone knew about what happened. The argument made enough sense and I decided to respond to whoever it was.

'Listen, this isn't funny. Just stop texting me.'

I hesitated but sent it, horrified at what the response could be.

I paced across the hardwood floors impatiently, longing for a text that satisfied me. I hoped and prayed this was a joke. Just a cruel prank meant to scare me.

I was abruptly snapped out of my thoughts as the phone in my hand gently vibrated, alerting me of a text. I looked down at my slightly shaking hand, willing myself to unlock the phone. I took amoment before finally reading it.

'Oh, don't worry babe, I can assure you, this is the real deal. Even if you don't believe me, we'll see each other soon. ;)'

My eyes widened. I was vaguely aware of the tears that fell from my eyes as I read the text over and over again. I began to shake uncontrollably, suddenly unaware of my surroundings. Everything began to blur as I threw my phone across the room, as if that would get rid of him. A ringing in my ears became dominant as I began to hyperventilate. I backed myself into a corner, pushing into it as far as I could, hoping it would just swallow me, maybe take me somewhere different. My breathing became so uneven, that in that moment I really thought I was going to die. I sat there, on the floor, my head in my hands, for what felt like an eternity.

When I finally calmed down, I glanced at my clock. I was shocked to see that it had only been fiveminutes since I got the message. It had felt like my panic lasted much longer than that, hours even.

I stood up slowly, wobbling slightly. I warily stalked over to my phone. I heaved a sigh, seeing the rippled cracks that spread across the screen. Surprisingly, it still worked.

Taking a deep breath, I knew what I had to do. I had to tell someone about them. Even if I hadn't forgiven yet, I couldn't let this happen to me again.

I wrung my hands nervously as I made my way to the door. I contemplated what to say, who to tell.

As I was about to exit the room, someone knocked urgently on the door. I opened it to see a very distressed Johnna before me.

"Celeste, my daddy wants to talk to you. I think something's wrong," her tone sounded slightly panicked as she spoke quickly.

I gave her a confused look.

"Okay, why don't you just go to your room while I find out what he needs," I spoke calmly, trying to be reassuring, though I had no idea what was going on. She reluctantly nodded in response, hugging me tightly before making her way down the hall.

I strodeto the living room, hoping to find out what was going on, and then tell them about the texts.

Upon entering the room, I was met with six adults frantically rushing about.

My brow furrowed together.

"Uncle Steve," I called to him, his head snapping toward me. Everyone barely noticed my presence as he made his way to me.

"What's going on," I asked trying not to let my concern show. This looked pretty serious.

"Your gonna have to keep an eye on the kids. We just got an urgent call saying we all needed to comein," he explained rather quickly.

"Is everything okay," I asked, knowing this couldn't be anything good.

"We're not sure yet. Some kind of threat was detected," he responded.

I nodded, unsure.

"Sorry to do this, but Pepper and Jane are out shopping, and Kayla's at work, and your the only one here, so..." he said sympathetically.

"It's fine," I said, not really having a choice, but then I remembered..."Oh! Wait. I really need to tell you someth-"

"I'm really sorry, but could it wait until I get back," he cut me of as he began to walk towards the elevator.

"Yeah," I sighed, defeated,"Be careful," I said as the elevator doors slid closed.

I sighed and pinched the bridge of my nose, wishing I had just blurted it out when I had the chance. What if he gets in here while there gone. I shook off the thought though, you couldn't get in any entrance without a key card anyway.

I made my way towards Johnna's room, remembering how worried she had been.

**~Meanwhile~**

The Avengers hurried through the lobby of the infamous tower they lived in, all wearing identical expressions of worry and concern. This was the first time in a while they had been called in as a team to neutralize a threat.

They all exited the building onto the streets of New York, waiting for the appropriate car meant to pick them up.

Normally, the secure front door of the tower only granted entrance with a key card. So caught up in the situation at hand, none of them were able to notice the tall boy. About seventeen years old, with sharp features. The boy, dressed in clothes as dark as his hair, took advantage of the open glass door, as the frantic avengers left the building.

If only one of them had took notice of him, turned around for at least half a second, the boy with nothing but bad intentions wouldn't have been able to get in.

**~back to Celeste's POV~**

"Hey guys, I'll be right back, will you be okay on your own for a few minutes," I questioned the kids who I had sat down to watch a movie. Too focused on the TV, they shook their heads, dazed.

I walked out of the room, making my down the hall. My hand hovered over the knob to my door. About to open it and enter, I heard shuffling inside, resulting in my hesitation. I stood as still as possible, straining my ears, seeing if anything else could be heard. I was met with nothing but silence. I'm probably just being paranoid, I thought, opening the door. Not surprisingly, I saw no one as I paced across the room to retrieve my phone, intent on calling Kaya. I just really needed someone to talk to right now. Scrolling through my cracked phone contacts, I got an uneasy feeling someone was watching me. I turned around suddenly, again, to see nothing. I slowly turned around shaking my head.

"Hey," I stopped dead what I was doing as I heard another person in the room.

My mouth fell open as I dropped my phone in shock seeing who it was. My heart began to race.

"Did you miss me," he asked coldly.

He looked the same. Sharp features, pitch black hair, tall, although this time he did look a little beat up. I idly wondered if that was the result of his and Kaya's 'little chat'

He took a step closer to me, causing me to take a step back.

He chuckled darkly,"Oh, come on Celeste, I just wanna talk."

Fear courses through me as he said that.

"Really, cause last time you wanted to _talk_, we ended up doing something else," I responded, trying to sound confident.

He smirked,"True. That's actually why I'm here."

He caught me off guard, lunging at me and pinning me against the wall. He reached into his pocket and whipped something out. I glanced at it, terrified when I saw it was a pocketknife.

That's when it hit me. I had a gun in here. It was taped to the underside of my bedside table. My mom gave it to me when i was 14, in case of emergency. I think this qualified. Of course, we were no where near my bed, but knowing it was there gave me a shred of hope.

He lifted the blade, studying it threateningly.

"Now, what so you say we have a little fun?"he asked suggestively.

I glared at him. I couldn't let this happen again.

I brought my knee up to his stomach as hard as I could, watching with satisfaction as he doubled over in pain.

I took this chance and ran towards my bed, hoping to get the gun. But, of course my luck in these kinds of situations sucks, so of course, I took this time to be clumsy and tripped over air.

This gave him enough time to recover. He strode over to me, roughly grabbing my red curls and dragging me over to the bed. I bit my tongue to prevent the scream of pain. I didn't want the kids to hear**. **If they heard, they would come in and he might hurt them.

He pushed me onto the bed, forcing himself on top of me. He grabbed my wrists and held them above my head. I struggled to get out of his iron grip as he came dangerously close to my face. I could feel his breath on me.

"Ready for round two," he repeated the dreaded text that started this all.

"Celeste, who is that," I suddenly heard Johnna ask in a shaky voice.

He jumped slightly, looking back to see who had interrupted.

I took advantage of his distracted state, head butting him. His hold on me immediately slackened, and I tore my hands from his. My fist made clear contact with his face, hearing a satisfying crack as I then pushed him as hard as I could off of me. He rolled to the other side of the bed, and I took no time leaping from the bed and swiftly grabbing the gun. I aimed it straight at him, switchingthe safety off.

Johnna still stood in the doorway, probably terrified.

I concentrated only on him though. His nose was bleeding profusely, probably broken, as he held his head. He took notice if the gun, a petrified look taking over his face. He slowly raised his hands in surrender.

"Don't move," I commanded.

I looked to Johnna, seeing if she was okay. That was my mistake.

He dived at me, going for the gun.

I kept my grip on it as we struggled for dominance. Johnna was screaming by this time. Everything seemed to stop as the sound of a gunshot echoed through the room.

**A/N: this chapter would have been posted a lot sooner than it was, but, I actually forgot the password to my account:/, so I couldn't get on. But I changed it, so hopefully I remember this one. Anyway, thanks to everyone who's reviewing. I appreciate them and I hope you enjoyed this chapter**


	10. Chapter 10

The struggle between me and him abruptly stopped as the gun sounded through the room. I looked down slowly as blood began to soak my white t-shirt.

It wasn't mine though. Dark red liquid seeped through his shirt onto me. The blood staining his shirt was almost unnoticeable given it was black.

I looked up at him, and we locked eyes. Guilt swelled inside my chest as I saw nothing but pain and regret.

His eyes began to tear as he opened his mouth, as if he was going to speak. Before he could though, his knees buckled and he fell on his back with a loud thump.

The thud his body made on my hard floor seemed to bring me back to reality. I regained my hearing as I heard screaming around me. I didn't mind to look to see whose it was. I kept my eyes trained on his unmoving body, a pool of blood slowly spreading around him.

A tear fell from my eye, resulting in unmistakable anger boiling inside me. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't convince myself he deserved to die. It bothered me. Here lay the boy who hurt me in the worst possible way _and_ attempted to do it again and I was _crying_ over him.

I was snapped out of my thoughts as Johnna catapulted herself on me. I remained frozen, staring at the dead body of my rapist as she wrapped her fragile arms around me, burying her face into the crook of my neck. I felt her tears slide onto my shoulders as sobs racked her tiny body.

I finally broke out of my trance, looking towards the doorway. Anabeth, Kirby, and Evan all stood together in the doorframe, shocked, traumatized expressions on their faces**.**

I took a deep breath, and wiped the tear stains off my face.

I placed Johnna on the floor, taking her hand and walking over to the other children. I tried to keep a calm expression on my face, faking that I had the situation under control. In reality I was scared out of my mind. I didn't know what to do. But right now, that didn't matter. So long as their parents were gone, they were my responsibility

"Kids, why don't you go back to the living room while I sort this out," I said gently.

"But-" Johnna started to protest.

"Please Johnna, just go," I said, a bit of authority sneaking into my voice .

Her eyes conveyed hurt, and I almost felt bad for my harsh tone.

They sauntered out of the room.

Once they were out of my line of vision, I shut and locked the door, proceeding to slide to the floor. I put my head in my hands, thinking about how sucky life was right now.

"Jarvis," I said, hoping the AI would be able to help me.

"Yes Miss Barton?"

"Can you call for an ambulance?" I wasn't sure if he was programmed or even able to do that, but I also wasn't sure I'd be able to explain the situation to a stranger right now. It was silent for a few moments**,** as I waited patiently .

His robotic voice broke the silence,"Emergency services have been alerted, paramedics should arrive soon."

I sighed gratefully,"Can you make sure to unlock the door when they get here?"

"The front doors have been set to unlock when paramedics arrive."

"Thank you."

* * *

"YOU MURDERER," the rage filled mother screamed toward me. She was tall and had short black hair. Her round face was crimson red from anger as she screamed obscenities at me, struggling as a police officer attempted to drag her out of the waiting room.

Her displeasure was understandable, considering she just found out her son had died. His name, I had finally found out, was Dante Costello. I had tried to tell her I didn't mean to. That he attacked me first, but, not surprisingly, she didn't believe me. She was in denial, not wanting to accept the fact that her only child wasn't as pure or innocent as she thought he was.

The problem was though, she was right. I was a murderer. True, he did some horrific things to me. Things I'll never forget. Did he really deserve to die though? That was the unanswerable question that lingered in the back of my mind.

Her cries of anguish echoed off the walls of the empty room.

I hadn't spoken since retelling the events from earlier to the police. They had arrived notlong after Jarvis made the call, along with the paramedics.

I gave my statement, not missing any details. Lucky for me, they were already familiar with my situation, and guaranteed me no charges would be filed. For that, I was relieved. After learning I was pregnant, the officers insisted I come to the hospital to make sure the baby was okay. I reluctantly agreed when one of the two policemen assured me he would stay and watch the kids. The other kindly offered to escort me to the nearest hospital.

The policeman, Jeff, succeeded in forcing the struggling form of Mrs. Costello out of the room just as the nurse walked in, informing me that the doctor was ready.

By 6 o'clock, I was finally back from the hospital. I reassured the policemen one last time that I would be fine on my own as they left the apartment. Nobody was home yet, and the kids were already sound asleep in their beds. It had been an exhausting day and I, too, was ready to collapse. I whipped out my phone, intent on getting a hold of anyone that would answer.

Nobody tried contacting our parents, so that was my top priority. I whipped out my phone, intent on getting a hold of anyone that would answer. I didn't bother trying Pepper or Jane, considering in situations like these, they'd probably panic, and that wasn't what I needed right now. I doubted Kayla's phone was even on, considering she was at work. I tried her anyway, finding that my prediction was correct.

I tried my dad next, who let the call go to voicemail. Unfortunately, it was the same for my mom and Bruce. Thor doesn't have a phone, so my only hope was uncle Steve.

After the third ring, I was about to give up, when it stopped mid ring.

"Hel-" I started.

The annoyed and commanding tone of my favorite uncle cut me off as he whispered ,"What the hell Celeste. I told you, we're in a meeting with Director Fury. This is too important, you can't call us right now."

"Wait-" I gave a futile attempt at keeping him on the phone. I sighed when I heard the click, signaling he had hung up.

I sighed impatiently, wondering if I should call again. Suddenly, an idea came to me. I scrolled down to the contact I had never used before. My mom gave it to me, in case of emergency.

I was sure he wasn't going to answer, but thankfully after a few rings, his deep voice entered my ears.

"Who is this?"

"Hi, Director Fury. It's Celeste," I said, hoping he would recognize me.

I had met him before, numerous times, but not recently.

"Ah, yes," I internally sighed with relief,"what do you need. I'm kind of in the middle of an important meeting, as you probably know**."**

**"**Yes, I do, and I'm very sorry I had to interrupt, but I have a problem. I need to speak with my family. It's kind of urgent."

The other end was silent for a few moments.

"Okay, I'll put you on speaker," he finally said.

I heard a bit of rustling on the other end.

"Um...hello?" I recognized the voice of my Uncle Tony immediately.

"Hey," I responded.

" Celeste. I told you not to call us right now. Can't this wait-"

"He came back," I spoke over him.

I knew I didn't need to elaborate further.

" He what," my dad said incredulously."I don't care what anyone says, I'm really gonna killhim. If he so much as laid a finger on you."

I heard my mother start to object.

"It's fine dad. He's dead."

Once again, everything was silent.

"Dead...? Did you..." Bruce trailed off.

" Yeah," I hesitated,"I killed him."

I struggled to actually say it.

"It was an accident though," I quickly added.

"We're on our way home," my mom responded, and before I could answer, the call was ended.

I slumped even further into my seat on the sofa. My thoughts were interrupted by the sound of footsteps behind me. I turned around, already knowing who it was.

"Johnna, what are you doing out of bed," I said to the sleepy toddler.

"I couldn't sleep." She hobbled toward me, hopping onto my lap.

"I have aquestion," she announced.

I sighed internally, knowing what this would be about.

"Was that the boy that hurt you before," she asked innocently.

"Yes," I responded.

"Was he trying to hurt you again?"

I nodded. She looked confused, sad, even.

"Why does he want to hurt you so much," she pressed.

I shrugged, not really knowing the answer myself. I never did anything to him.

"He's not gonna try and hurt you again, is he?"

"No," I assured her,"I can guarantee we'll never see him again."

"Good," she said hugging me.

Seeming that I satisfied her, I sent her back to bed. As she hopped off my lap and ran back into the hallway, I was yet again alone, awaiting the arrival of my family.

The elevator finally pinged, signaling they were finally here. As soon as the doors opened, the six adults rushed to my side, bombarding me with questions.

I held up my hand, effectively silencing them, and walked toward the kitchen, hoping they would follow. Thankfully, they understood where I was going and we all sat down at the round table.

"Are you okay? Is the baby okay?" My dad frantically asked when we were all settled. I was shocked that he was concerned for the well being of my unborn child, but quickly recovered.

"Yes, we're both fine. I went to the hospital and everything checked out."

Everyone seemed to relax at this.

"Where are the children. Are they okay?" Thor asked

They relaxed even further when I responded,"They were a bit shaken up before, but physically, their fine. Their asleep right now."

"Okay, so how did this happen," my mom asked.

I first explained the odd texts I had received this morning.

"I don't know how he got in, but he did. He was waiting for me in my room and he tried to...rape me again," I looked down, forcing the tears to stay down,"but, when he was distracted, I grabbed the gun next to my bed. We fought, he tried to get the gun, and I accidentally fired. According to the paramedics, I hit one of his major organs, so he died quickly."

Everyone was silent for a while, trying to comprehend the new information.

"Have you talked to the police," Steve asked quietly.

"Yes, they said it was self defense, and that they could guarantee I wouldn't be charged with anything."

I heard many sighs of relief around me.

"That's good," my mom said. We locked eyes. It looked as if she were searching for something," I know you said you were okay physically, but are you mentally?"

"I'm fine," I lied. I couldn't tell if she detected my lie, so in an effort to change the subject, I said,"so what was that meeting all about?"

They all exchanged glances, having a silent conversation, probably deciding whether they should tell me or not.

Tony finally spoke,"Do you remember us telling you about the chitauri invasion."

"Yes," I answered, confused.

"Well, the guy who lead the attack is coming here," he responded.

I vaguely remembered my dad telling me about the 'mean man' who came to New York. I couldn't recall his name though.

"Why?"

"He is my brother,"Thor answered,"Loki**."**

**A/N:Here's chapter 10. Thanks to everyone who followed reviewed and favorited, I appreciate the feedback. So I've decided to add a new character to this story. Loki. Please review and tell me if you agree or disagree with this. Anyway, I hope you all liked this chapter and keep reviewing. :)**


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